Latch mechanism



Dec. 22, 1931;

v c. B. LowE LATCH MECHANISM Original Filed Deo. 26, 1928 Z Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR C/Larns awe ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, 193,1,v c. B. LQwE 1,837,560

LATCH MECHANISM Original Filed Deo. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v VCctrd es' 25. Zad/'6 ATTORNEYS Patented Dee. 22, 1931 UNITED .STAT-Es CHARLES B. LOWE, or Dnirnorm, MICHIGAN, Assrenoa 'ro rnnnosrnmrrnesonreir?, i A Aor pnrnolnfI/IICHIGAN; A con-eonzlfrioiv or Miei-11eme l Y LATCH MncHANrsMQ .Application Vflied .December 2e, ieeefseriai'1v033223g57-1.'v A.Renewed May 11, 19.31.;`

i This Vinvention relates generally .to-vehicle door latches -and consists 'of certain novel Y.

features ofconstruction, combinations and f-arrangements of :partsthat will be -hereinf vafter more .fully described yand' particularly `:pointed out in rthevappended Claims.

In the accompanying d-rawin'gs-" Y *Figure l is aside elevation of a latch mech- `anism embodying my invention showing the y f y basa reduced shanklportion 25 eXtending iparts in adoggingl position, f Figure 2 is a view similarfto fFigure 1 and A.showing 'the-parts irl-neutral position,

Figure 3 is adetail elevation of the latch bolt, -yo'ke'and orfw'ardflink,

VFigure 411 is a f detail of the 1latch `bolt `and. f

gyoke, Y

:Figure Figure 6 is `a. detail `view of the linterme# 'diate leai:I spring,

*Figure 7 fis -a therefrom. Y Y Figure-8 is fasectional view 8-8ofFigure1- D Y Referring now to the drawings, lisa oase on the :line

plateadapted to be secured-tothe inner rside of a door yand having a lateral langef2-at its forward ledge `afkrpted to `:be secured `to the `itree iedge .of the door, V3Jis fa A.reciprocating latclrboltthat isrnovable through an opening 4 in 'the lateral flange 2 forzengagement `with'asuitable keeper (not shown)f,t6 isa substantial'ly Hat yoke secured to fthe Aloolt3 andadapted torslideonthe case plate 1 between struck-out lugs '.7 ,.andSS-ahelical spring anchored on thecaseplate and Yhaving a'depending arm Qabuttingia shoulder 10 of the yoke and knormally retaining 'the bolt in :fprroieeted position. y Y y l For retracting the latch bolt 3, I have prolivideda vreciprocatingl link 15and a rotatable roll-back 16.' -As showngthe link 15 ,has a :slotted connection .withfthe yoke 6 andis v ,adapted Yto be .operated from the .inner iside.

of the door .by :a link .and lever .(:not shown). while; the roll back 16 is journaled in the .case plate 1 adjacent to the lateral ,flange .2 for engagement with a shoulder 19 of the yoke and is adapted to be operated ,is a .detail view vof the forward.V

A detail viewfof the ilatch l v ca'sefplate with the 'movable `parts removed .aand link. 17 AAto retract the llatch bolt.

handle-and shankV (not'shown.) Preferably `trom l the outer sideofY the-door, 4by' a thelink `has a single relativelylonglongitudinally extending elongated slot/20 Aat -the forward `end thereof that. registers y, with CrCulalf Op'eningV21 and acylongitudinally extending elongated' slot/22 in ithe yoke A- headed stud 23 has-an enlarged shankl por- Y tion v24: inthe registering'slotsf20 and `22y and through vand securedin avcircul'ar opening -26 inzthe caseplate 1, while a. Second ,headed `the slot 2O inthe link 15 .andlhas afre'duced Y .shank portion. 21-secured in the circular, opening 21 in the :yoke 6. r'lliis'link 15 isfalso aprovidediat .its forwardend `withjan upstanding .ar1n29 having 'fa forwardextension 30 vthat .is adapted .to Vbe V.moved `intov the path of a shouldery 31 of the roll back 1'6lto 'prevent rotary `movement thereof ,by` the -outside Vhandle'to retract therbolt,-and is provided at itsf longitudinal ,edges with lateral guide v 4flang`es32 and 33 that overlap or voverride l.the `longitudinaledges of the yokeV 6; Thus ,the

stud.23:andflan`ges 32and 33 serve as fguides `for rthe reciprocating ylink 15 whilethefstud 27 on the yoke v6 constitutes anfabutment 'for the forward end '34 of the slot 20-when`the link 15 .is moi/'edrearwardly bythekleverV stud 23 on the .cas-e `plate 1 also servesI as ,an abutment for a lateral iange v35 onthe link 15 when the latter is moved forwardlyby the leverV 17 and link 18lto cause the arm 29V a to dog 'the rollback 16.

AIn ,use the link 15 lis oftentimes `moved f forwardly by the leverand link 1'( when the door isopen to cause -thelrofll fback 16 to be dogged by the. arm 29, and whenvt'his is doneV l some means is necessary to hold the; link 15" Y and arm 29against accidental displacement when the latchv bolt 3 is moved rearwardly incident to the slamming to or closing of the door. In other words, when the doorv is moved to closed position thelatch bolt 3'engages and is moved rearwardlybythe keeper strikernplate (not shown) and unless some means is provided for holding the linkr15 Avin Lits `forward dogging Eposition withrespecctto Y the roll back 16, the said link 15 being mounted on the yoke 6 securedto the bolt 3 would be moved rearwardlyY by the yoke 6 Vwhen the latch bolt is moved rearwardly with the result that the' roll back 16 would then be accident-` ally released when the door was-'fully closed. In'the present instance, however, such accidental releasing of the roll back is prevented by the provision of an velongated'longitudinally curved or bowed leaf spring 4G that is located between the` link 15l and the yoke 6.

` Preferably this spring 40 has a circular open.Y

. ing'41 that registers'with the slots 20 and 22 Vin the link15 and yoke 6 respectively and with the circularopening 26 inthe c a'se plate and receives the enlarged shank portion 24,01? the vheaded stud 23, andihas a-longitudinally eX- tending elongatedslot42 that registers with Y `,theY slot 20 and circular opening 2 1 and re-' `20 ystud-'127.v Thus with this construction the *spring 40,is;l1eld against movement bythe 'Lheadedstud23fbut permits lfree' movement ceive's` the enlarged shank portion 28V of lthe therein of the stud 27 carried bytheyoke. Due toits longitudinal curvature and spring l alities,the springe-0 hasa tendency to keep lto and that'such changes may VVbevresorted -to within the scope of what vt elink 15 v`'ont offrictional Contact with the [yoke 6 so thatthelatter may` movelongitudinelly.. on the case` plate fl'without moving the link :15, .Thus Ywith myv construction'. when the roll `back .16 is dogged 'bythe Varm 29 of the link 15 when the door isV opened,.the saidV link 15 *willbe` held the spring '40 in dogs .ging position so that'it will not'be moved by fthe yoke l6 when the latchbolt is moved reari wardly incident'to the closing of the' door'.

. 'While it is believed that `from the foregoingdescription, the nature and advantages lofthe invention will be readily apparent, I

desire to have it understoodthat I do notlimit myselftowhat is herein shown and described whendesiredas fall is claimed. y ...What Iy claim as my invention is:

' 1, a door latch, the combinationrwith Vtwo reciprocating parts, of means maintaini ing said parts in spaced relation to eachother i but operable to hold one of said parts ,against 1 movement when the other of `said parts vrecprocates Y 2. Ina

Y 3. In a door latch, vthe combination with f two reciprocating parts, of means located be? tween'said parts andnormallyseparating the Y sam'eibut operable to hold one oi said parts against-movement Vwhen the other oi' said;

I' parts reciprocates.

vIn,a`doorlatch, the combination with tworeclprocating parts movable successively i. it"

. l and 1n un1son,vof means between said parts ment'of the other-o fsaidparts; f

kof the other of said parts.` f

10. In a doorvr latch,the combination with 3 two movable parts,E fone beingA ai' latch bolt jyokepand the` other ,an actuatinglink?V for said yokefof means between saidgp'arts capable of holding the link ag'a'instmovernent i door` latch, the combination with' Vtwo reciprocating parts, of means associated With-both of said parts'and'adapted to hold one of said parts against movement when the other ofsaid parts reciprocates.

operable `to hold one ofvsaid parts against movement when the moved. Y

5. In a doorilatch, the combination with two reciprocating parts arranged in overlapping relation and movable successively and inunison, of mea-ns'located between said overlapping parts and operable to hold one of said parts against movement .whenthe other/ of said partsis moved.

6. In adoor'v'lat'clnthe combination with two over-lapping slidingr parts,.one being a ed 'to .hold sai'd link against -movement during afpredetermined sliding'movement of theother of said'parts.'

g tin-ja. door latch, the'combinanoi with two sliding, parts', A one 'being va link, of a leaf spring between said parts and adapted to khold lsaid linkagainst movementV 'during a:

predetermined sliding. movement of the other ofsaid'parts. I

'Y 8.' In a door latch ,"thecombination with `'two Ysliding parts` one being alink',vo fa sta- V4tionary member located between saidparts 'other of said parts is link, of means betweensaid parts and adapt-v Y and. adapted'to hold saidlink against movef `ment during predetermined sliding move- Y. 9.111 a door'latch,'the combinationzwith twoV overlapping slidin'gparts, onezbein'g a stationaryV leaf 'spring between said-'parts and adapted to hold Vsaid `link against movement during a predeterminedsliding movewhen theyoke is'movedf 11..'In a.V door latch, the combination VVwith a latch bolt-having a sliding yoke,*ofgmeans l' for retractingsaid bolt includingaroll back and a linkV operatively associated with said yoke, said 'link overlapping and constituting f a rearward" extension of lsaid ,'yoke, .means constituting aforward extension of said link back'. 12. In a able successively andzin unison on said case plate, of a member anchored'on vthe case plate but located between saidlink and yoke and adapted to; hold said link against movement during a predetermined 'movement ofi V said yoke.

link and movable relative'to the other', of-a f doorlla-tch, the combination ywith i acase. plate, a'latch bolt ,yoke and alink v,arranged in voverlapping relation and slid-v said parts is moved.

18. In a door latch, the combination with a case plate, of a stud projecting from said case plate, a latch bolt yoke slidably mount-V ed on said case plate and having a slot receiving said stud, astud projecting from said yoke, a link for operating the yoke slidable over the caserplate and having a slot receiving both of said studs, and a leaf spring anchored on one of said studs between said yoke and link and having a slot receiving the other of said studs.`V A

14. In a door latch, the combination with two sliding parts, of means between said parts l operable to hold one of said parts against movement when the other of said parts is moved. Y

l5. In a door latch, thecombination with two overlapping sliding parts, of a flexible element between said partsv operable to hold one of said parts against movementA when Y' the other of said parts is moved.r

16. In a door latch, the combination with two sliding parts, of a' flexible leaf spring between said parts and normally separating 'd the same but operable to'hold one of said.

parts againstmo'vement when the other of In testimony whereoi1 I aflixmy signature. Y

Y l CHARLES B. LOWE. 

